First Known Use: 1895
Dictionary
purple passage
noun
Definition of PURPLE PASSAGE
1
: a passage conspicuous for brilliance or effectiveness in a work that is dull, commonplace, or uninspired
2
chiefly British : a piece of obtrusively ornate writing —called also purple patch
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Origin of PURPLE PASSAGE
translation of Latin pannus purpureus purple patch; from the traditional splendor of purple cloth as contrasted with plainer materials
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